Centara Hotels & Resorts: COVID-19 Response

The Client

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator, with 81 deluxe and first-class properties across all of the major tourist destinations in the Kingdom, as well as a further 34 hotels and resorts in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, China, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Dedicated to providing exceptional service in unique and sophisticated environments, the Thai hospitality management and holding company places a strong emphasis on providing Thai-influenced hospitality and its innate warm service across all its brands whilst embracing and maintaining a sense of place in the local environment of each property.

The Situation

When the COVID-19 pandemic arose, the world went into lockdown and international travel stopped — and the hospitality industry suffered from a never-before-seen wave of cancellations. Revenue from wholesale and long-haul markets visiting Centara Hotels & Resorts destinations simply stopped. 

As the pandemic wore on, a new normal emerged and consumers became increasingly concerned about hygiene and safety. But unlike its competitors, most of Centara’s hotels are based in Thailand — and as the kingdom was very efficient in stopping the spread of the virus, the brand was in a unique position to reinvent itself domestically.

The Challenge

Centara knew it needed to reassure guests of their safety and engage with them in new, innovative ways. And acting quickly — before its competition — was paramount. Trying to find ways to stay connected with its customers so that the brand would be top of mind once travel was a possibility was a top priority. 

The Solution

Although the domestic market was always important to Centara, post-lockdown it became even more so. The company’s first priority was to implement strict protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. Next, it refocused its existing advertising channels to target almost exclusively the domestic market for the short term and launch multiple campaigns to support revenue growth. Additionally, the entire organization embraced social media and published multiple content streams demonstrating Centara’s active support in the fight against COVID-19. The company also created “Centara at Home,” a series of innovative editorial content articles to help stay connected with its audience.

From an operational standpoint, Centara made changes to its booking and cancellation conditions, giving consumers the full flexibility they need to make travel plans in an uncertain future. The company also adjusted its price points to match demand and expectations, allowing it to take its fair market share.

The Results

Centara’s conversion rate soared by almost 100% year-over-year in Q3 2020 and pageviews per session increased by 25%. Bookings and room nights booked increased respectively by 100% and 40% year-over-year. Acquia Site Factory and Drupal’s integrations have allowed Centara to efficiently manage content production and publication in a context where being fast to market was imperative.